Twinks Are Out. Here’s Why Hunky Men Are Back In Demand

It’s no secret that there’s a strong disdain for masculinity in our culture. Confusing toxic masculinity with real masculinity has led many to disavow masculinity altogether, but that’s starting to change. With more women embracing their femininity, it only makes sense that these women are attracted to masculine men. Luckily for us, that means hunky men are officially back in style.

The Rise and Fall of the Soft Boy and Androgyny

Some of the most popular heartthrobs over the past few years were Harry Styles and Timothee Chalamet. While you can argue that both men are conventionally attractive and charming, they’re not nearly as hot as masculine hunks like Henry Cavill or Glen Powell. Androgynous fashion was all the rage in the late 2010s and bled into the early 2020s, so much so that Harry Styles went viral for wearing a dress on the cover of Vogue in 2020. So it only made sense that androgynous men were in style too.

Male celebrities weren’t the only ones to embrace androgynous fashion, though. Actresses like Kristen Stewart were famous for their androgynous style, blurring the lines between masculinity and femininity. This isn’t anything new in Hollywood – celebrities like David Bowie and Kurt Cobain blurred the lines of fashion and gender long before Styles and Chalamet entered the Hollywood scene.

But masculinity and femininity have made a comeback over the past few years. This is apparent in the fashion industry with the rise of ultrafeminine brands like LoveShackFancy and Selkie. During the summer of 2023, millions of young women entered their feminine era, spurred on by the popularity of Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, the Barbie movie, and the spread of feminine fitness on social media. On the masculine side of the coin, we’ve seen the popularity of movies like Top Gun: Maverick, shows like Yellowstone, and artists like Morgan Wallen prove that both men and women crave masculinity in pop culture. This has also been apparent in sports over the past few years, with athletes (mainly football players) going viral for their manly good looks. The internet went crazy about Joe Burrow last year, Sam Hartman this year, and other players like Jimmy Garappolo and Nick Bosa have also seen an increase in popularity, but that pales in comparison to Taylor Swift’s new boyfriend, Travis Kelce.

The Taylor Swift Effect

Taylor Swift is arguably the biggest celebrity in the world right now, and her influence over pop culture is massive. Since her dating life is a big part of her brand, any guy she dates becomes a big deal. Many fans were convinced that her six-year-long relationship with Joe Alwyn was the end game, but they broke up earlier this year due to “differences in their personalities.” Many fans have speculated that Alwyn was uncomfortable with Taylor’s level of fame and didn’t fully support her career. 

When the rumors that Taylor and Travis Kelce were dating began, fans started joking that they were happy that Taylor finally stopped dating artsy British guys and was now dating a hunky American football player. Fans were also happy to find out she and Travis were dating because Travis actively pursued her, which was special since Taylor has been open about how no man has ever made a grand romantic gesture for her. Fans love that Taylor is finally dating a masculine man, and she seems to be very happy with him.

TikTok influencer and podcast host Jordan Wessel pointed out how men like Travis Kelce and Outer Banks star Chase Stokes, who is currently dating country-pop singer Kelsea Ballerini, are proving that men can be masculine and brave enough to show they’re in love. She says, “There’s a lot of guys who are terrified of being called a simp or being made fun of by other dudes, or looking whipped, so they try to play it cool when it comes to relationships. Ultimately, that’s just made it so that we have a ton of guys who don’t know how to be gentlemen anymore. Now we have these two super masculine, well-known guys who are not afraid to show that they are head over heels for their ladies.”

She continues, “Both of them have pursued their women, both publicly and privately. They show up and support their ladies; they aren’t afraid to look goofy as they’re singing love songs at the top of their lungs at their concerts. They’re just showing what it’s like to actually show up and support and care for your lady.”

Women want to be with a man who pursues them and supports them, who is comfortable enough in his masculinity to be able to show his emotions and be vulnerable. We don’t want guys who play the “who can care less wins” game or who are more concerned about their status in the eyes of other guys than with their relationship with us. We don’t want the bare minimum from a guy – we want a masculine man who treats us like a lady.

Women on TikTok Are Craving Masculine Men

Earlier this year, TikTok influencer @ms_petch went viral on TikTok for saying it was difficult to find a man who was masculine but not conservative. She says, "As a liberal woman, it is really hard to find a man who's willing to play the more traditional masculine role in the relationship in today's day and age who is not a conservative. A man who wants to pay on the first date, who wants to open your door, who has that want and desire to take care of you and to provide.”

She continues, "Obviously, as a liberal woman, I do want to be respected for my independence, and I do want to have my own autonomy in the relationship and not be conformed to the traditional female homemaker/childbearing role. And most of the men that I dated who do have that more natural provider masculinity about them are normally conservative."

The comments section was divided as to whether or not she was being hypocritical for wanting a traditionally masculine man without being traditionally feminine. But to her point, there’s hard data to show that there’s a link between masculine men and conservative men. According to a Pew Research survey, Republican men value masculinity more than Democratic men: 78% of Republican men think masculinity is good for society, while only 49% of Democrats feel the same way.

Ms. Petch is hardly the only liberal woman who is more attracted to conservative men than liberal men. And if you like muscles, chances are you like conservative men too: Studies show that muscular men are more likely to be perceived as conservative. If you like both muscles and conservative men, there is a growing demographic in the Republican party you need to know about – blue-collar workers. From 2010 to 2020, the percentage of blue-collar voters who identify as Republican grew by 12 points, while the same group in the Democrat party decreased by 8 points. This shift has women trying out a new dating strategy – going to gas stations at 6 a.m. to check out blue-collar men, proving that conservative men may be a hot commodity these days.

Closing Thoughts

No matter how much our culture tries to demonize masculinity, it’s impossible to change the fact that feminine women prefer masculine men and vice versa. With more women embracing their femininity and a resurgence of masculinity in pop culture, it’s time to welcome the new age of hunky heartthrobs.

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